Wall Street opens higher as Democrats win Congress; data centre stocks slide

US stocks surged higher on Wednesday (Nov 4) as investors expected a divided Washington following the Democrats' midterm victories, which could curb drastic policy changes. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 997.76 points or 1.9 percent to 52,784.48, while the S&P 500 increased 86.51 points or 1.1 percent to 7,655.43, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 271.36 points or 1.1 percent to 25,643.36.

Allianz Global Investors' chief investment officer for public markets Michael Krautzberger and senior economist Liam Wash noted, "Investors could conclude that Washington remains structurally constrained, limiting the prospects for dramatic shifts in the economic outlook."

The AI sector faced pressure as Democrats gained seats in key data center states like Texas and Georgia, where public opposition to rapid industry expansion has grown. Goldman Sachs economists predicted, "Democratic wins at the state and local level are likely to lead to short-term data center moratoria, potentially affecting about 45 percent of planned US data center capacity expansion."

Data center operators saw a decline, with Applied Digital and CoreWeave dropping 4.1 percent and 5.3 percent, respectively, and Cipher Digital falling 14.3 percent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 indicated a technical correction on Monday. Investment strategist Kit Rees commented, "AI has been an enormous engine powering the US economy, so any curbs on its future development could threaten to put the brakes on growth."

Utilities and equipment suppliers involved in the data center boom also experienced pressure. GE Vernova declined 5.8 percent, while Constellation Energy and Vistra, which are heavily exposed to data center projects in Texas, slipped 5 percent and 9 percent, respectively.